NBA Summer League Adopting NCAA-Style Bracket Structure

Las Vegas Summer League will now culminate in an eight-team, single-elimination playoff bracket for the first time this summer. Sounds fun. Per CSNBayArea.com: “NBA teams have been notified that the Las Vegas Summer League is incorporating an NCAA-tournament style bracket that will crown a definitive champion, sources say, with an incentive beyond bragging rights to win it all: the winner has their additional expenses for playing longer covered by the league. The recompense is an important component because teams are looking at their line-item expenses more than ever these days and the costs of having a Summer League team is one of the biggest. One general manager, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it is the second-biggest item on his budget, topped only by the cost of preseason training camp. Teams, on average, bring with them a 40- to 50-person contingent that includes players, coaches and support staff. The league schedule is held over 10 days but teams often come in several days early for a pre-league mini-training camp.”